I do not own Criminal Minds, only the characters I have created in that world.
Chapter 25: Life's Trials
Emily spent the day getting everything ready. Just a few days before Charlie's seventh birthday, and her sister was finally coming home. Charlie called the homecoming her special present, but made it clear she still wanted a real one. The ease that seemed to be in the house was a new feeling, and it made Emily and Aaron feel like having both babies home wouldn't be that hard of an adjustment. That might have been some wishful thinking, but, honestly, the babies could cry all night, it could be a madhouse, and still they'd be the happiest people on earth.
There were preparations, though. The crib bedding needed to be cleaned, both Mackenzie's and Ben's. While she took pride in keeping a clean house, they needed the place to be as dust free and hypoallergenic as possible. With babies, there were always risks and you want to keep them away from dirt and dust, but with a baby like Kenzie who was more susceptible, cleanliness wasn't an option, but a demand. Thankfully, Elizabeth, who was positively gleeful after getting the news about Kenzie, sent over a maid for the day. With Emily's direction, the two were going to have the house as clean as it had ever been.
When they were done, the place was spotless. Every linen was laundered, every surface was washed, and every little thing was dusted. Emily didn't think she ever lived in a cleaner place. It was exhausting, even with the help, but it was done and everything was ready for Mackenzie to come home. Now they just had to go… But Aaron still wasn't home.
The passing seconds were torture. She needed Aaron to get home already so they could go there and get her together. The plan was all set. Sarah was going to pick up the kids from the bus stop and take them over to JJ and Will's. She was going to watch them over there until Emily and Aaron returned home with Mackenzie. By that point, JJ would be home as well and offered to take the kids back once they had Mackenzie settled in.
Now it was a waiting game. But as time ticked by, she hadn't heard anything from Aaron and it was starting to seem more and more like everything was a dream, like Mackenzie wasn't really coming home. She was hit with a sense of déjà vu. He was supposed to call her during the lunch recess to check in if he had time. She thought nothing of it when he didn't. Maybe it ran late, she thought. But then the hours passed and nothing from Hotch. He wasn't returning texts or calls. It was radio silence, much like the day the twins were born. It had her worried.
Still, she tried not to let it faze her. Come three and she was ready to head off to the hospital. Though she wanted to do it with him, she would take Mackenzie home on her own if she needed to. "Come on, Aaron. Answer." Aggravated, Emily tossed her phone onto the couch next to her and sighed. "Oh, Ben. What's your dad up to?"
The boy smiled at her, but it only offered so much comfort. She was hoping court was just running late, but usually, by the end of the day, everyone was hustling out of there. And Ben, well, she kept him home with her because she didn't have any bottles ready for Sarah to take. But that wasn't an issue when there were two of them going, one parent per baby. "Better get used to being outnumbered by infants, I suppose. What do you say, Ben? Are you going to play nice so Mommy doesn't end up having a nervous breakdown?"
He'd be good, he always was… Usually. Maybe… Emily would deal with happy Ben or cranky Ben, as long as when they came home, it was with the other half of the pair.
Emily's sadness and worry about Aaron's absence wasn't unfounded. She knew, without the shadow of a doubt, this was a day he was ready for. He took off work just to make sure he could be there to carry Mackenzie out to the car, buckle in her never used car seat in, and welcome her back to her home. Now he wasn't sure if he would do that. Despite taking the day off, he couldn't get out of the trial.
So, he left that morning weary to be away when his mind was so set on being there for Emily and their kids on such a happy occasion. They weren't making too big a deal of Kenzie's "due date," as they were calling it, for fear that celebrating it too much would jinx it. Nothing would get in the way if they could help it, so they were taking every precaution, even superstition. They weren't above doing some kind of spiritual dance if they had to, as long as their daughter stayed on the track she was going, healing.
Aaron went into the courtroom with a smile on his face that he couldn't remove even if he wanted to, and an alarm set on his watch to beep when he had an hour to get home to meet Emily. He was set, he was ready, and he was counting down. The longer the day went on, the more he looked at his watch. And when the moment came where he was staring at McAndrew, gun pointed at the man and another pointed at him, his watch was quietly beeping to alert him it was time to go. He needed to be with his family.
He could have said he didn't see something like this coming, but the truth was that he expected something big and flashy from McAndrew. Maybe not a standoff, but something for sure. The moment he saw the unusual step, the sly movement McAndrew was making, he knew the moment had come. The strike was being made, and he acted in the moment. The guard's cry of agony pierced through the quiet room. Aaron's hand reached for the gun on his side, thankful he got permission to carry a weapon in the court. He drew it just in time.
Somehow, when the bailiff went down, McAndrew was able to maneuver the gun away and into his hand. He took no time at all to use that to his advantage, kicking the bailiff aside and wrapping his arm around the nearest, most vulnerable, person's neck. It happened to be the young lawyer, an intern working with the defense team. He held the gun to her temple and dragged her away from the other people as Aaron made his way closer.
"Ah, ah, ah, Mr. Hotchner. I wouldn't come any closer if I were you," McAndrew sang, pushing the gun back and forth against the girl's head as if wagging a finger.
Aaron stopped dead in his tracks, listening to the faint beep still emanating from his watch to even out his heartrate, elevated with adrenaline. "Put the gun down, Patrick."
"I don't think so," he laughed. "I've got big plans, Aaron, and none of them involve spending the rest of my life in jail." He smiled as he took another step back, Aaron falling in line with him. "What did I say about not coming any closer? I don't think you want this young lady's death on your conscious… You don't want her to die… Like Haley did, do you?"
"I don't want anyone to get hurt today, Patrick. Let her go. We can talk," Aaron tried to reason, covertly signaling the rest of the room to leave quietly and quickly. He could see the judge escorting as many people out as he could, but anyone near McAndrew stayed put.
McAndrew didn't look back, but knew what was happen. "It's ok. Let them go. You're the only one I really want here anyway. And this little lady. What's your name sweet cheeks?"
"D… De…Delia," she said, fumbling on her words.
"Good girl. Everyone else should leave. Go!" he yelled at the other occupants, squeezing his hostage tighter. "Just the three of us will stay. Then we'll decide who will and will not be getting hurt today."
Finally, just the three of them, though Aaron could hear the people outside, officers undoubtedly approaching and getting ready to raid the room. Everyone else was safe, and that made the situation a little better, but Aaron just wanted to get himself and the hostage out of there alive.
"Looks like we find ourselves in this familiar situation, a standoff," Patrick said with a maniacal smile. "Wonder who will shoot first."
Aaron's hand gripped tighter on the handle of the gun. In a moment, he watched as McAndrew's gun moved from his hostage, throwing the woman away, and pointed directly at Aaron. Both men released a shot. Both fell to the ground. The room was stormed, an officer running to Aaron and Delia's aid.
"Are you ok?" the officer asked him as he kneeled down beside Aaron.
Temporarily dazed, Aaron was lost in thought of his family, of where he wished he was, where and with whom he should have been. All else was empty around him until the voice pulled him to the presence. "I'm ok," he responded. He was. He was fine, but he was going to be murdered. He was sure Emily was going to kill him for not being there with her… again, and he'd let her. He was angry with himself.
"You're bleeding."
Aaron's hand went to his burning side. He was so focused on being alive after being terrified he'd lost everything and thinking he'd miss out on all the family moments, that he hadn't even felt the shot. "I'm ok," he repeated. "It's just a graze."
"Let's have the EMTs tell us that," he insisted. Aaron just nodded. He didn't have much of a choice.
"He's dead," they heard another officer call.
A part of Aaron was calmed then. The man who terrorized his family was gone. It wasn't exactly the outcome he was looking for, but he would have to live with what he was given for closure. It was over. McAndrew was dead. He could go home and tell Jack that his mother's murderer would be paying for his sins in hell. While he would have preferred to go home at the trial's end and tell Jack that Patrick McAndrew would be spending the rest of his god forsaken life locked away and rotting in a cage, he would do this, go home and tell them all that he was gone in every sense of the word, with some internal happiness. McAndrew could torment them no longer.
"How's the girl?" Aaron inquired.
"She's ok. Unharmed, but being looked at. She's in shock, understandably. Now we just have to get you looked at."
"No… No, really," he tried. "I don't have time for that. My family is waiting for me. Our little girl finally gets to come home from the hospital today. I need to be there. I should really be there now." His voice sounded pleading as he attempted to get up, the officer pushing him back down.
"And you want to be able to hold your kid, right? So let our guy come check you out. He says you're good, then you're on your way."
"Fine," Aaron hissed. "Just help me over to the bench and hurry this up."
He looked to his watch. There was no way he would make it on time… Especially not if they made him stay. But he had to be there. "I have to!" he yelled in his head. He let down Emily and his kids enough already. So, he'd let the EMT look him over, but if they took too long, he was hightailing it out of there, blood dripping and all.
His hand was pressed against his side, holding some kind of fabric given to him by the officer to keep pressure on the wound. It hurt, but it wasn't deadly. That much he knew, medical professional or not. Thankfully, it didn't take too long for the paramedic to get to him and come to a similar conclusion.
"Did you hit your head?"
"No."
After that was established, the rest was quick. They recommended going to the hospital for stitches and a work up, but Aaron refused. He had somewhere to be and no time to get there. So, he just told the medics to patch him up as best and as quickly as possible and was on his way. He was a mess, and he knew that, but he was going to make it there. He was determined to try, anyhow.
He all but ran to his car, going as fast as he could with the pulling at his side. In his car, he rushed off. Thankfully, the courthouse was closer to the hospital than their home. Still, in order for him to be there before they took off and they passed each other in traffic, there would need to be some delays. It was a hospital, after all, so he was hopeful. In the end, it took some doing, but he did make it. And to try and help matters, he attempted to call Emily several times along the way to no avail. Trying counted for something, he hoped.
"Emily," he said as he walked through the door, holding his hand over the wound, an attempt to hide it and help himself.
"Aaron! You made it." Her face was positively glowing as she turned to him, holding both babies. No matter how angry and bitter she was on her trip to the hospital thinking about having to face another milestone in their babies' lives alone again, she was determined to keep the day a happy one. Seeing him made her happy and made the harder feelings disappear from the surface.
"Of course. I'm just sorry it took me so long. Has the doctor come?"
"Just missed him. Waiting for the final papers now."
Emily walked to him and, as she was about to pass him Mackenzie, noticed his stance. Her eyes followed his lines until she landed on his hand. Then her posture tensed, her grip on the kids tightened, and she looked at him with concern and even some anger as she asked, "What happened? Are you bleeding?"
He offered an apologetic look and allowed her to lead him to a chair. With full hands, she couldn't do much else. "McAndrew is dead," he stated plainly, quietly as if the babies could understand and he wanted to shield them from that evil.
"How?" she asked stoically, taking a seat near him.
"It's a long story." He sighed and shifted in his seat.
"Well, look around. You know how this works. We have some time."
"Let me have her." He motioned for Mackenzie.
"Aaron," she chastised. "Talk to me. Tell me what happened. You're dripping blood and you have a hole in your jacket… Were you… Were you shot?"
A sense of terror went through her body. Although she could see that he was there and, obviously, ok, she couldn't let go of the worry. He could see that, and did his best to ease her. "I'm ok," he started before delving deeper into the story, no detail spared.
"You didn't let them stitch you up?"
"I had somewhere more important to be. I tried calling and couldn't get through."
"I was with the doctor."
"I figured, but I couldn't let you go through something big like this without me there by your side. This is our family and I need to be here for these moments. I want to be here."
She couldn't argue that, but she did convince him to let her get a doctor there to look at him.
"This is a children's hospital, Emily."
"And right now, you're acting like a child. I'm happy you're here, Aaron, so incredibly happy, but you can't even hold our kids without getting blood on them right now. They told you that you needed stitches. So, let's save us a trip to another hospital and see if they can do that here."
"Fine," he relented. He owed her that. From the moment he walked in, even through the exuberant glow she had, he could see how stressed she was, and he didn't want to add to that anymore. He put enough on her shoulders and now it was about relieving some of that weight.
"Stay here," Emily said as she stood. Placing each baby in the car seats she brought up, she told him she'd be right back.
Aaron dutifully stayed put. He was in good company. "I'm sorry I almost let you guys down again," he told his children. "But that monster is out of our lives now. Mackenzie, you're coming home and things will finally be normal. I hope you both know how much Daddy loves you. Because I do, so much."
Happy little Mackenzie kicked out her feet. Every day she seemed to become more active, slowly catching up to her brother.
"Are you saying you love me too, Kenz? I know you do. And you Ben." He tickled his son's belly, eliciting that delicious baby laugh. It was new with him, something that appeared in the last week, and they loved getting him to make that coo and giggle. Mackenzie wasn't quite there yet, but they did enjoy her smiles and the cute little sounds she made.
"You are the best babies in the world, you know that? And don't tell your Mom yet, but I think we're going to have to get her a super special Christmas present to thank her for putting up with all of us. She found a few new gray hairs the other day. It's starting to upset her. I'm not saying it's your fault, but none of us helped. So, what do you say? A spa weekend?"
With matching gummy smiles, they both looked up at him. He loved to feel the recognition in their gaze, whether or not that was really what he was seeing. "I'll take that as a maybe," he said and smiled back.
"Maybe what?" Emily asked as she returned.
"Maybe you'll be back any second and, look, here you are. I was right."
Emily rolled her eyes and sat beside him before telling him that Dr. Cavanaugh agreed to take a look and stitch him up when he came back with the release papers. "Now let me see it before he comes and fixes you up."
"What? Why?"
"Let me see," Emily demanded.
"It's nothing, Em. I'm ok." To him, it was nothing, but he knew it was something and letting her see would make it something more than it was.
"Alright… Then show me." There was something in her that just needed to see how close she had come to losing him. He was still hesitant. "If it's nothing, then show me. You have to take off the shirt anyway. Dr. Cavanaugh said he would be on his way in any minute."
He knew he wasn't going to win if it became an argument, but that didn't mean he wanted to give in. It wasn't a particularly close call, not in his opinion, but the gravity of the situation was hitting him. He could have died. The shot could have hit a few inches over and took out a vital organ.
"This can wait," he attempted to tell her, but he was quickly silenced by the look she was shooting him. "Fine."
Emily's hands reached out and slowly unbuttoned his dress shirt. Her mind wandered to what could have been. How could it not? And she was saddened to even imagine a world where he wouldn't be by her side, but she wouldn't let that show. She didn't want him to feel bad for doing what needed to be done… He wasn't even working though. It was supposed to be a non-dangerous situation in a courtroom. With their family growing, both seemed to have developed a greater sense of mortality, and there it was, in the flesh again to remind them how imminent and close death was.
Her fingers ran down his chest, delicately going to ghost around the wound, peeling back the gauze that was taped on there. Carefully, she inspected it. It was deep, but not deadly, and yet, it affected her in ways she couldn't explain. "Please tell me you got him good."
"It was straight to the chest. Got him right in the heart," Aaron said. "He's gone. He'll never bother us again." For that, they were both grateful.
Foreheads touching as they leaned on each other, Emily's hand holding the gauze on his side, she said, "I won't ever stop you from doing your job, and I don't want you going into a situation with us as distractions, but promise me… Promise me you'll be more careful, that you'll think about us when you need to make dangerous calls and think about what the consequences could be. I don't want to do this on my own. I don't want to raise four kids without their dad."
"I'll promise if you do the same. When you come back to work, I don't want you to be reckless or in danger either. I love our family. We both need to be safe."
"There's always danger… but no unnecessary danger. I promise."
"I promise too," he whispered and sealed their deal with a kiss.
Emily smiled and leaned against him, minding his injury as they waited for the doctor. Dr. Cavanaugh showed up pretty quickly with a suture kit and everything he'd need to patch up Aaron. Finished, he prescribed him some antibiotics before concluding the last of the talk with the parents.
"Remember what we discussed. Keep an eye out for any of the concerning behavior, but don't go looking for it. I wouldn't be releasing Mackenzie if she didn't seem up for it. Give her the medications as directed and keep up with the appointments. Have you already made a date with my assistant for a follow up?"
"Yes, I have," Emily answered, her hand griping Aaron's.
"Good. We'll make sure she stays on course, healthy and happy as she grows. And as for you, Aaron, if you're at Mackenzie's appointment, I can check your stitches, but you should follow up with your physician anyway. Keep the stitches dry and clean."
"Thank you so much for everything Dr. Cavanaugh." Aaron shook his hand and Emily offered a hug before signing the last of the papers with the nurse.
Emily signed the last line and looked to Aaron. "Are you ready?"
"More than ready."
"Then let's take our kids home." It was music to his ears.
Each of them picked up a bag of Mackenzie's stuff, some with the decorations and pictures Emily took down, though she left one on the photo board for all the long term patients that were released, and each took one of the car seats, their twins dressed and ready to face the weather. The slight November chill was no match for their cozy outfits and the warmth of their parents as they made their way outside. Securely strapping them into the holsters in the back seat, Emily and Aaron were about to get into the car.
"What about your car?" Emily asked.
"We can figure that out later," Aaron answered. "This is where I need to be." He put his hand over hers. "I'll drive."
"I don't think so. You can relax in the passenger's seat."
He wasn't ok with relinquishing the control, but Aaron was content to let her have this one. She needed to do it, to take care of him, and he needed to let her. No matter who drove, they were all together and all ending up in the same place. Aaron couldn't help but watch her the whole way home. Emily would look at the back seat through the rearview mirror every three or four minutes. It was like clockwork. Halfway through the trip, Aaron just started laughing at her, and when Emily asked what he found funny, he just said that it was her.
"What did I do?" She smiled and looked over at him while stopped at a red light.
"They're ok back there, Emily."
"I know but…"
"Focus on the road."
"I am… I just… They're both outside of the hospital. I need to keep looking to make sure it's real."
"It's real," he assured her. "We're finally taking her home."
Nodding, Emily put her foot on the gas and went through the green light. Home… They were all going to be home. And the rest of the trip was spent with a smile on and Aaron's hand on her thigh, squeezing every so often.
"Here we are," Emily said as she pulled in the driveway.
"I'm going to go open the door, then I'll come back and help."
Emily nodded, popping open the trunk and handing him the keys. The car ride put the babies to sleep and Emily didn't want Aaron making multiple trips or to try carrying too much for fear he'd pull a stitch, so she kept an eye on the twins and moved the two bags to the steps of the porch as Aaron unlocked it
"Can you make sure Cocoa's gate is up. She's used to Ben, but she never met Mackenzie. I don't want her to get too close yet. For all we know, Kenzie could be allergic."
"Let's hope not. If we have to find Cocoa a new home, Charlie's going to hate us."
Emily didn't want to fathom the possibility, so she brushed it off as Aaron moved into the house, securing the gate while she finished moving the bags into the foyer.
"We're just going to wait for Daddy, ok guys. Hang in there." Emily sat beside them and waited for Aaron to return so they could bring them inside.
"Ready?" Aaron asked when he got there.
"Yup. You take one. I'll get the other." That was there life, an eternal tag team now that they were outnumbered, now two to one. "Home sweet home, my little Love Bug," Emily said to Mackenzie as Aaron carried her in.
"Welcome home," Aaron said as both kissed her soft cheek. She was loving the attention.
The two of them wanted to take a little time just for themselves to be with the babies and get Mackenzie acquainted with her new environment before calling JJ to let her know they were home and she could bring the older two home. Emily nearly cried when she put Mackenzie down in the pen for some tummy time with Ben, and again when she and Aaron took them up to the twins' room to get their diaper changed.
"Can you believe this is the first time she's in here?"
"No…" Aaron couldn't. It felt right, though, like something that had been missing the whole time has finally come to its place. "Look Angel, it's your bed and all your things. This is your blanket. You remember that, don't you? And Rocky Roll is there for you too. Right beside you is where Ben is. See there," he pointed. "That's Teddy Berry, named by your big brother and sister. I know, they're silly sometimes, but they'll take care of you always."
They introduced Mackenzie to their world, her new world, and were content to just watch her and Ben as they yawned and gurgled and did nothing particularly special, yet it was magnificent anyway. Unfortunately, the intimate baby and mommy/daddy time needed to end because JJ brought the big siblings home so they could greet her too.
Charlie and Jack were beyond excited. They couldn't grasp the true magnitude of Kenzie's triumph, something the parents were actually happy with, but they did understand that things felt different, better, with Kenzie finally home. They knew that meant more time together and less time split between here, there, and everywhere in between. So, they were thrilled. They weren't afraid to let that be known. The first thing they both did when JJ brought them back home was run around looking for Mackenzie.
"Where is she? Where is she? Where is she?" Charlie chanted the question.
"Hey, hey, hey," Emily said and pulled Charlie back. She had Jack and Charlie sit down so she could talk with them for a moment. She wanted to make it clear that she knew they were excited, she was too, but they still had to be gentle with her, just like they were with Ben, and that they had to help her settle in.
"She's not used to being with us, right?" Jack asked.
"Right. But we're going to make her feel comfortable. This is her home."
Still excited, the kids dragged Emily up the stairs to play in the twins' room. They spent most of the evening in there, all six of them and Cocoa, who they had meet Mackenzie. That went well. The dog loved her, and it got her to release the closest thing to a laugh they had heard to date from her. After feedings, baths, and general nighttime routines, Emily and Aaron sat in bed with the babies, Ben in his father's lap and Mackenzie in her mother's. Emily's hand was rubbing Mackenzie's stomach, gently grazing the scar. To Aaron, she looked so lost in thought, so far away from him.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"She'll have this scar for a long time… Probably the rest of her life."
"Yeah…"
"Scars can suck," she said plainly, speaking from experience. "They can make life difficult. People always have something to say about them…"
"Like?"
"I don't know… That it makes you ugly."
"Do you think it makes her ugly?"
"What? No! God, she couldn't ever be ugly in my eyes."
"We're all scarred, Emily. Isn't that what you told me? It just makes us more amazing."
"It does… But I don't want her to feel different before she even has a chance to find who she is. That's tough on a kid."
"We'll make sure she doesn't," he promised Emily, bouncing Ben in his arms as he looked at her deeply. "If one day, she comes to us and she feels bad about herself because of the scar or whatever she has to say about it, I'll tell her that it makes her special. I'll tell her that all my beauties are scarred. Her mother, her sister, her… And it just makes me love them more, makes me find you all more beautiful and more perfect than ever before."
"I think that would be good," she nodded, pulling Kenzie to her chest to snuggle as tears came to her eyes.
Aaron held out one arm, motioning for Emily to come in closer. She leaned in against his side with Kenzie, and he held all three of them. Somehow, Ben reached out for Kenzie and the two did their thing, wrapping their arms together and finding their connection.
"Whenever we put them together, they always seem to snuggle."
"It's because they love each other."
"I hope that never changes."
"We won't let it." He kissed her. "We should get them to bed," Aaron said. "It's late and we should try to get them on the same schedule."
"I know…I just… If I put her to bed, I feel like I'll wake up and this will be a dream. She won't really be home," Emily said as she grazed her yawning daughter's cheek.
"She's really home. Believe that." His smile was infectious as Aaron looked down at his son. "What do you say Ben? Bedtime for my boy? I think it is. And Kenz, what about you? Tired?"
"Definitely," Emily answered for her. "She had a big day today. She's not used to all the action."
But before they could get up, Charlie came bustling in with Jack. "Mommy, now that they're both home, can we read them my book?"
"Which book?"
"My special book. The really special Rabbit one from Daddy."
"Oh… Sure Charlie Bear. Both of you hop up here." Emily patted the bed and allowed the kids to squeeze in. It was a full house, but being squished into one big bed was more than welcome.
They read through a few pages before everyone was asleep. Hotch took that as his cue and carried Charlie and Jack to their beds and when he returned, he found Emily staring at the book in her hand. He peeked in the bassinet that held both sleeping babies before joining her in bed.
"What's on your mind?" he asked.
"I just… Can't believe how far we've come. Do you remember giving her this book?"
"I do… It wasn't my finest moment."
"No it wasn't. A rare book, Aaron? Really?"
"I know. But it meant so much to me and I wanted her to have something I was connected to. I wasn't really thinking about her taking care of it."
"You're lucky she's just like me with her books, and that I have a special bookcase to preserve these things." She got up and moved to put the book away. "She loves this book. And I love that you gave her it, even if it was pretty stupid…."
"Then what's wrong?"
"I'm just awestruck. It's been about two years since my…" Lies, secrets… oh so many unkind words could be used. "untold truths…"
"Untold truths? That's what you're going with?" He had to laugh at that. It was a sugarcoated choice, but he'd give it to her. He wasn't harping on it.
"Yes… Two years since my untold truths were revealed and look where we are. I never thought we'd speak again. In fact, I was positive you'd hate me forever and only hoped you'd come around for our daughter."
"I came around for you too. Two years and now we're married with four kids."
"It's hard to believe how much things have changed. But I'm happy with where we are. So happy."
"Me too."
"And now that Mackenzie's home, I feel like we really have the chance to be normal and happy… forever."
"This is our chance," Aaron agreed. "I've been happy, but she was the last piece of our puzzle. Now she's home, McAndrew is gone, and we can make the most of this down time. It's just us for the next few days."
"Just us… I like the sound of that."
And it was true. For the most part, it was just the six of them in that house. Sarah had the time off and they made it clear that all visitors should call first, but most people respected their time. The family knew they needed their space, so they kept their distance from the Hotchner household. But that didn't mean it was an easy time.
Mackenzie was, generally, an easy baby. She was used to noises and being poked and prodded, but she was also so used to her old routine instilled by the hospital that it was harder for her to get used to the change. The first night was actually the best and the hardest. Emily was so excited and worried to have Mackenzie there that she stayed up all night anyway, watching her in her crib as she rocked in the glider. Eventually, she fell asleep there, satisfied that both of them were breathing, alive, and doing ok.
"Emily, come back to bed," Aaron cajoled her awake.
"Mmmm." She sleepily pushed him away. "Can't. Need to make sure they're ok."
"They're perfect Emily. Come on. We have the baby monitor on. Let them sleep."
"No…" she whimpered and put up a fight, but ultimately, he got his way.
"Yes. I'll carry you if I have to."
Pouting, she agreed and grabbed his hand. He pulled her up and led her out of the room, but before they could get past the door, Ben let out a loud wail.
"Well, at least I tried," Aaron muttered to himself as they both turned to handle the situation.
Sure enough, within seconds, Kenzie was up and reacting to the cry. Ben was hungry, but Kenzie, well she was just a sympathetic crier apparently. They got both to settle momentarily, Emily feeding Ben and Aaron soothing Kenzie. But the moment both seemed to be ok and ready to get back to bed, the parents put them in their cribs and the cries began again. It was the start of a cycle, a vicious one. When one woke, the other followed no matter what the cause.
It was a restless first night. Kenzie, their quiet baby, learned to use her lungs and she was testing their limits. At one point it even woke up Jack and Charlie. Emily, tired, but planning to stay with the babies anyway, sent Aaron to tuck them back in and then get some sleep himself.
"Don't worry. I'll figure it out. Just close the door on the way out and turn off the monitor."
He was reluctant, but obliged. His medicine was wearing him out. Emily, however, was still struggling. She knew the tricks. She knew just how to soothe each baby. And those tricks worked… Separately. Together, however, they were a new entity, and the solution to quell the beast didn't come until early the next morning. Ben needed a diaper change and he was quick to let mommy know it.
Kenzie whimpered along with him as Emily placed him back in the crib. The cries didn't stop. So, deciding to just take them for a walk around the room, hoping rocking them around long enough would afford her a few hours' rest, Emily pulled Ben back up and went to grab Mackenzie. Only then did the cries stop. As she reached into the crib, she had to lower Ben in to maneuver it with only two hands for two babies. But when he went into the crib with her… The crying was no more.
"Are you serious?" Frustrated, she ran her hand through her hair. "That was the answer. Seriously?!" It was that simple. All they wanted was constant companionship. They were used to being on their own, but there was some sixth sense between them that allowed them to know when the other was near, and they couldn't settle until they were together. All it took after that was a nice song to get them to sleep.
Aaron found Emily asleep in the chair when he came in later that morning, a giant cup of coffee in hand. Only, instead of handing her the coffee, he ushered her off to bed. He could handle the older two's activities and would turn on the baby monitor for her as he, Jack, and Charlie went out. She needed the rest.
All in all, though, it was a good day. They tried to spend as much of it all together as possible. Save for a normal cry here and there, the babies were pretty well behaved, but it did take a few days for them to get on the same schedule. Before Kenzie came home, Ben was almost sleeping through the night, waking only once early in the morning, so they were hoping that would start up for both of them.
By the start of the next week when Emily and Aaron both had to be up for work or getting the kids off to school, the babies were more in a routine, but still a work in progress. Despite the rough start, they loved having her home. It felt natural to be with Mackenzie, like she was there all along. The whole weekend, Emily and the babies hadn't left the house. Aaron was doing well. He had to give a statement about what happened at the courthouse, but he didn't see much reprimand in his future, so he didn't think much about it save for the fact that that specific nightmare was over.
Things were looking up for them. Mackenzie's health was stable. She was growing and getting stronger each day. Ben, Jack, and Charlie remained the perfect children, healthy and amazing. The family was growing closer. And Monday, Emily enjoyed the hassle of the twin stroller just because they were both in there that time.
"Mackenzie will still be there when we get home, right?" Charlie asked as they waited for the bus to come to a stop.
"Yes, Charlie. She'll still be here. Both Kenzie and Ben will be with me when I come to pick you up from the bus."
Hesitantly, Charlie looked around and then nodded. "Ok. Love you, Mommy."
"Have a good day at school. Jack, remember to hand in that paper."
"I will. Bye Emily!"
Emily waved and smiled as they got on the bus. She was just about to start heading home when Ben became restless. He was usually good in the stroller, but they were still reworking the schedule to fit with Mackenzie's medication routine, so the poor boy didn't know what was going on. Emily pushed down the stroller's cover and put her hand on her babies' bellies.
"What's the matter, my big boy?" she asked.
"I hope you don't expect an answer," JJ said as she waddled up to Emily.
"Hey." Emily stood at full height, moving the stroller to help soothe Ben. "How are you?"
"Good. How are things with Mackenzie home?"
"A little more of adjustment than we were expecting, but amazing nonetheless." She couldn't keep the smile off her face as JJ peeked into the stroller at the babies.
"That's great."
"Not at work today?" Emily asked.
"Going in a little late. We have an appointment for the baby," she responded, a hand going to her very rounded belly.
Emily smiled, almost missing being pregnant with the twins… Almost. "He'll be here soon."
"I know. It's crazy how fast time seemed to have gone, but I can't wait." JJ was beaming with excitement, and Emily knew that feeling. Even with all the problems, Emily was beyond excited to meet Ben and Kenzie. Sure, she would've liked to make it a little further along, and she was panicked and stressed, but the thought of first laying eyes on them sent her heart fluttering, especially the last few weeks. "Want to take a walk back to my house with me? I thought we could talk about the party."
"Umm," she looked down at the babies and then to her watch. The walk would be settling, they probably wouldn't need to eat for another hour, and she had the diaper bag with her. "Sure."
They had some last minute details to discuss. Henry and Charlie's birthdays were coming up. Because JJ was so far along in her pregnancy and things were just beginning to come together with Mackenzie's homecoming, neither family had the ability to go all out. The kids were turning seven and eight around the same time and they had a lot of the same friends, so when Jack told the kids it would be cool for them to do one birthday party together, Emily and JJ were quick to jump on that bandwagon. The decision was to have a small party with the team and a few friends, games, cake, and fun at the Hotchner house, decorated with both their favorite colors.
Emily thought learning how to combine the boy's and girl's themes for a joint party would be good practice for when the twins were older and they had to deal with that. Or maybe not because Henry and Charlie made it easy. They each picked out invitations they liked. Henry wanted blues and Charlie purples for the decorations. Cakes needed to be picked out, but Emily planned to take the kids to the bakery the next day so they could order one they liked.
They chatted for an hour before Emily thought it was time to go. Will had just arrived and the babies were due for a feeding, so Emily told JJ she should get home. "Everything's set," she said.
"Seems that way," JJ agreed. Invitations were already out, RSVPs in, and menu thought out. "Are you sure you can handle the all five kids by yourself tomorrow?"
"I'm sure I could, but don't worry. Aaron had to go in today to talk with Strauss about what happened at court, but he has the rest of the week off. He's coming with us tomorrow."
"Ok. Great."
"Let me know how your appointment goes."
"I will, Em. Bye."
Emily saw herself out and went to enjoy her first day alone with both twins at home, the first where she was awake for most of it anyway. Every minute of it was pure joy. She swore, like every opportunity she had since they came home, she found herself just staring at them, watching and memorizing every little detail about them.
Over the next few days, things only got better. Charlie and Henry were able to each pick a smaller cake decorated specifically for them, Charlie's chocolate on the inside and Henry's a marble cake. That was the dividing point that made Emily decide that, even though they were able to compromise on a design they both liked, that it would be better to just let them each have their own distinct cake. At least then was done.
Mackenzie had an early doctor's appointment the next morning. She was doing well. The elder Hotchner, however, had to wait to get his stitches out. Aaron wasn't thrilled about that, but he knew it would happen. It hadn't yet been a week and with the depth of his injury, he was told it would probably be ten days at least. He'd deal with it. Unhappily. All he really cared about was Mackenzie's bettering health and getting to be a part of celebrating Charlie's birthday.
Aaron and Emily surprised Charlie on her actual birthday. Cake for breakfast, naturally, was followed up by an afternoon afterschool horseback riding with mom, dad, and Jack. It was hard for Emily to leave Mackenzie in someone else's care after waiting so long just to have her home, but she convinced herself it was the right thing. And it was. She and Ben were safe and sound with Penelope, Derek, and Spencer. The more the merrier, Emily decided. Knowing they were with three amazing people gave the parents the peace of mind they needed to have fun. They had a great time and, best of all, Charlie was thrilled.
The cutest thing happened the night before the party. Emily and Aaron stayed up late to try and finish all the last minute things. JJ planned to come early in the morning to do her part, but they didn't want her doing too much. The last thing they needed was another premature labor in their midst. Though JJ's doctor told her the baby was already a big boy and completely healthy, at least one of them had to deliver somewhere near the actual due date. But that was beside the point. Emily and Aaron were staying up working on wrapping the kids' gifts and Emily was baking a few treats. While they were doing that, the rest of the house was asleep. Or so they thought.
Down in the living room, they brought the baby monitor down to hear as they worked. One of the babies started to cry. "That's Ben," Emily said as she finished what she was doing.
"Want me to get him."
"No… Give it a second to see if he stops. I just fed and changed him, so it's not that."
They gave him a minute, listening and hoping he didn't wake Kenzie too. He wasn't stopping, but just as Emily was about to go check on him, Hotch grabbed her hand to stop her. Charlie was talking on the baby monitor.
"Ben. If you keep crying you're gonna wake everyone up," she said. "Look, Kenzie's right beside you. You can't be lonely."
If they were up there, they would've seen Charlie push the chair as close to the crib as she could so she could climb up and see in. Her hand reached down to hold his as the light from the dimmer and the mobile illuminated her face just enough for him to make it out.
"If I sing, will you go back to sleep? Tomorrow's my party and I need to be happy. So do you or we won't have fun. That means sleep," she informed him, making her parents laugh.
"She's so precious," Emily said as she leaned back into her husband's embrace.
"Mommy used to sing this to me. I think you'll like it," she said before starting to sing. "Fa la ninna, fa la nanna … Nella braccia della mamma …"
"Charlie, why are you in here?" Jack sleepily came in and stopped her. "We're not supposed to wake them up. Mom says."
"I didn't wake them up," she scoffed. "I'm singing them back to sleep so Mommy and Daddy can sleep more too."
"What are you singing?"
"A song Mommy sings to me."
"Cool," he said moving closer. "Can I help?"
"Uh huh." She leaned over to whisper the lyrics in his ear. By this point, both babies were up, but neither were crying.
"Fa la ninna, fa la nanna … Nella braccia della mamma … Fa la ninna bel bambin, … Fa la nanna bambin bel, … Fa la ninna, fa la nanna … Nella braccia della mamma…" They sang together in a way that delighted Emily to no end. The parents made their way up the stairs and watched as the last of it unfolded.
"You guys having a party in here without us?"
"Mommy! They were awake. We were singing."
"I heard. It sounded beautiful." Emily and Aaron joined in for one last verse, all of them sitting in the rocking chairs. "Time to go back to bed, baby," she whispered into Jack's ear as his head rested against her chest.
It was a sweet little moment that they all cherished. They had some good kids. If the newest two were anything like their siblings, they couldn't be any luckier.
"You look happy," Aaron said to Emily as they lay in bed later that night.
"I am happy. You are too, right?"
"I'm so happy. Our little Charlie is seven. That seems so old right now."
"I know. But she's growing into such a wonderful girl."
"The best." Emily cozied up with Aaron, snuggled in his warmth as they talked a little longer.
Come party time, and the house was a frenzy. A baker's dozen of children, not including their own, were running around wild. Parents were everywhere. JJ and Will were in charge of the games for the kids while Emily and Aaron took care of everything else. Sean even decided to come for a surprise visit.
"Thought it was about time I showed up. I did get an invite, right?" he told them when he arrived.
"Of course, Sean. We're happy you're here." But a little notice would have been nice. The card did say RSVP y the given date.
Still, they were happy for the visit. Elizabeth was there too. Definitely a lot going on. Kenzie and Ben weren't fond of all the excitement and ended up spending a lot of time with Grandma in the kitchen. But they faired pretty well. Cocoa was begging to get in the action, but hesitant to leave the new cuddle buddy Mackenzie's side near the play pen at any given time, not that she could get past the gate anyway. Eve and Belle were there, happily joining the little gang. Overall, it was crowded, but it was good.
Charlie and Henry were up to their ears in sugar and fun. Sometimes it was hard to keep track of them. At one point, just after blowing out the candles, the two disappeared. Off on an adventure, up to something, no doubt.
"Hey, where are the birthday boy and girl?" one of the guests asked.
"I'll look around. They couldn't have gotten too far," Aaron said.
He found them in the babies' room. The twins were sitting in their little swing seats while Henry and Charlie kneeled in front of them, their faces stained with multicolored frosting.
"They look hungry. Don't they look hungry?"
"I think so. Do they like cake?" Henry asked.
Charlie shrugged. "Let's try. They should get some too. It's yummy."
Hearing that as he was heading up the stairs, Aaron took off in a sprint, getting there just in time. "What are you doing?" he practically yelled, the two heads snapping toward his voice with wide, apologetic eyes. It was just the distraction Cocoa was waiting for to grab the cake off their plates and chow down. After that, they just started laughing.
It was a great party, simple, but fun and no one got into any trouble. Charlie and Belle even got a sleep over after. And one of Henry's friends went home with him. So all were pleased with the day.
Time seemed to move quickly after that. They mourned Haley's death when they day came. A whole year later, so much had changed, but it all hurt the same. That was hard on Jack, but he was doing ok. Being with the family helped and having Helen around was comforting. Helen took Jack and Aaron to the graveyard and helped him find a way to be there and not be as sad as he normally would be.
"Your mom loved you, Jack. You'll always have that. Losing someone is hard, and you may not understand this yet, but when you lose someone, you can't focus on that. You have to focus on what you have. And you, my beautiful Jack, have so much and so many people. So don't come here and mourn, come here and be grateful for the memories you have with her before leaving and making new ones."
Maybe it was a bit too mature for him, but death was something that seemed too mature for anyone to ever be old enough for. Jack was strong. He was fine. He definitely enjoyed Thanksgiving despite the date so close to the death anniversary.
Dinner time came, and they were starting a new tradition. Everyone said what they were thankful for, and all of them said wonderful things, but when it got to Jack, Emily was in tears.
"What are you thankful for, Bud?" Aaron asked.
"I'm thankful for all the food, having the best brother and sisters, to Dad for being awesome. And Grandmas too… I'm also thankful for having Emily, because Emily's the best and if I had to choose someone to be my mom, other than my actual mom, it would be her."
"I thankful for you too, Jack. I love you."
"I love you too, Mom," he said with the sweetest toothy grin, as the table silently awed. A very happy Thanksgiving with plenty to be thankful for.
Sorry for any grammatical errors. Thank you everyone who has added this story to alerts or favorites and to those of you who have given feedback. Opinions are much appreciated; feedback, input, whatever. Constructive criticism also welcomed. I hope you enjoy. Until next time…